Arrival Conversation in Car and at Temple – August 13, 1976, Bombay

We are not getting very good encouragement from India

Gopala Krsna: The whole thing is being done in one week. I just got the whole text from Niranjana on Sunday from England. We've got it composed, it is going into printing tomorrow. it will be ready by Vyasa-Puja. It's a Hindi Back to Godhead on Janmastami...

Prabhupada: Niranjana is, I think, good translator.

Gopala Krsna: Yes, and he's the most reliable. The others I find are not reliable. Even with Yasomatinandana, I give him a book, it gets stuck for three months. But now we are moving very fast. The first Hindi Back to Godhead we printed up forty-five thousand; it is sold. So I'm reprinting thirty thousand more in Delhi, and in Bombay we are producing a new Back to Godhead with thirty thousand first print. Forty-five thousand of first printing is almost sold. People can't believe it. Even Hitsaran Sharma couldn't believe it that we distributed forty-five thousand Hindi magazines in two months.

Prabhupada: We are distributing millions in English.

Gopala Krsna: We got a new import permit to import books worth five lakhs. I think I wrote that to you. And also the government is going to let us...

Prabhupada: I saw your wife in New York.

Gopala Krsna: Yes. She's in Dallas now. Also the government's going to give us permission to import paper now, and I have already arranged to get samples of Japanese paper. So this will make our quality very good. The government likes our printing in India. So that's why they gave me this new license. Because I said, "As we import and sell, we print more in India," so they like that.

Prabhupada: What is the temperature here?

Hari-sauri: Temperature?

Gopala Krsna: [to driver:] What's the temperature, about?

Kartikeya Mahadevia [driving]: Outside? Twenty-nine degrees.

Gopala Krsna: Twenty-nine degrees.

Hari-sauri: What?

Gopala Krsna: Twenty-nine degrees.

Hari-sauri: What's that?

Kartikeya Mahadevia: Centigrade.

Gopala Krsna: Centigrade.

Kartikeya Mahadevia: It is about ninety-five. Ninety, ninety-five.

Hari-sauri: Ninety-five!

Kartikeya Mahadevia: Ninety, ninety-five.

Gopala Krsna: How was it in Iran?

Hari-sauri: Nice.

Prabhupada: Iran night, very nice.

Gopala Krsna: I was there a year ago. I've gone to Tehran.

Prabhupada: In the morning also it is very nice.

Gopala Krsna: Do you go on the morning walk now, Srila Prabhupada, I heard?

Prabhupada: No, not...

Hari-sauri: Prabhupada can't climb up stairs. Once he goes upstairs then he'll stay.

Prabhupada: What about the lift here?

Gopala Krsna: The lift will not be ready till... Your apartment will not be ready till December or January. They can't do it any sooner.

Kartikeya Mahadevia: If Srila Prabhupada wants to stay somewhere else, we can find out from people where, who have got lift.

Gopala Krsna: Otherwise, I was thinking we have vacant that old flat of Menon on the ground floor. I discussed it with Giriraja, and I just wanted to..., I was waiting for you. If you like that, Srila Prabhupada, we can convert. That is construction office. We can move the construction office somewhere else, and we can give you that whole flat on the ground floor. Giriraja and I both thought it was a good idea, but I just wanted your approval. We can do that in half a day. It is right on the ground floor.

Hari-sauri: That would be very nice.

Prabhupada: Small.

Gopala Krsna: Yes, but it is on the ground floor. That's the only advantage. In Vrndavana the guesthouse is all completely renovated. S. K. Somani came from Bombay, I showed him around Vrndavana, and he booked thirty rooms for ten days in September and October. Oh, it's first class.

Prabhupada: Mr. S. K. Somani?

Gopala Krsna: S. K. Somani, yes, Shri Krishna Somani. He liked it very much. Now the government has kept two policemen outside our Vrndavana temple to control the traffic, there is so much traffic. The policemen told me that we get even more people than Bankibihari. But I don't think it's a fact, but the policemen say the crowd is bigger than Bankibihari.

Kartikeya Mahadevia: Prabhu, shall I take it around the gate?

Gopala Krsna: [Transl. Take under the bridge.]

Kartikeya Mahadevia: [Transl. We can drive underground. Otherwise difficult. Oh what a line!]

Gopala Krsna: You go this way. Also a lot of people are coming to the Delhi temple. The Maharani of Jaipur comes every second day. She is the daughter-in-law of the Maharani Gayatridevi. Everyone, lot of these... Many people are coming every day to our temple in Delhi.

Prabhupada: What about Hyderabad?

Gopala Krsna: Hyderabad will be ready. I was there last week. It will be ready in time. The chief minister of Andhra Pradesh is coming as the chief guest on the day the temple will be opened.

Kartikeya Mahadevia: We are getting very good bungalow in Ahmedabad. Six bedroom with six baths, all marble.

Gopala Krsna: But we don't have any devotees there. What will we do?

Kartikeya Mahadevia: There are eight devotees at least. They have to vacate in any case. They have to go. [break]

Gopala Krsna: ...newsstands also. Yasomatinandana has made some arrangement with some distributor.

Prabhupada: Newsstand?

Gopala Krsna: Yes, through news, where they sell newspapers and all.

Kartikeya Mahadevia: They distribute about fifteen hundred on Ratha-yatra day.

Prabhupada: Fifteen hundred on...?

Gopala Krsna: Ratha-yatra in Ahmedabad. Now we are distributing these books for one rupee each or 1.50 in Vrndavana, because now we've got the cost of printing down to sixty paisa...

Prabhupada: Our Ratha-yatra in New York was very successful.

Gopala Krsna: Yes, I saw in the New York Times. I went to the American Embassy in Delhi, and I saw "East Meets West," that was the heading, and there were picture, and Daily News had it on the first page.

Hari-sauri: Middle page.

Gopala Krsna: First page.

Hari-sauri: Center pages.

Prabhupada: Three chariots, very gorgeous.

Gopala Krsna: It's due to your causeless mercy this is spreading everywhere. There were hundreds of orders from libraries. Actually, we cannot even keep up, there are so many orders coming. Every order has been dispatched, Srila Prabhupada. There's not one order outstanding, but we are getting lot of correspondence, everything. That's why... And I spoke to Ramesvara two nights ago; he's shipping the books right away. Because we only got the sea. By Krsna's grace, first our application for import of books was rejected. Then I went and met this very big man and preached to him. So now he's become a devotee and he said, "You just come to me. I'll give you in one day whatever you want."

Prabhupada: Accha?

Gopala Krsna: So he gave the import license for five lakhs in one day, he gave, and he also told me how to import paper.

Kartikeya Mahadevia: From the other side? Port number five?

Gopala Krsna: Yes, doesn't matter. Anywhere. He also told us how to import paper.

Prabhupada: Gave some hint.

Gopala Krsna: Yes, I gave him some books. I meet him regularly now, when I meet him. He'll come to see you in Delhi he said. He's the Joint Chief Controller of Imports and Exports, very high position. So he has the final authority for giving licenses up to one lakh. He said he could give it to us.

Prabhupada: What is the political position here? [break]

Gopala Krsna: ...big celebration here starting tomorrow to the 18th. P. K. Savant-he came to see you last year, the president of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee-he is the chief guest. Mr. Pagay, another, he is the minister from Maharashtra, he's also coming. Very big program. It's being advertised all over Bombay.

Prabhupada: So raining stopped here?

Kartikeya Mahadevia: For three days stopped, sir. Otherwise, it was very heavy.

Gopala Krsna: It's monsoon; it will still rain.

Prabhupada: Throughout whole Europe there is not a drop of water.

Gopala Krsna: Yes. They're getting suffering now.

Prabhupada: All, no cloud.

Gopala Krsna: In France I read in the paper that the river was the lowest... [break]

Prabhupada: [at temple]

[prema-dhvani prayers]

….Prema se kaha srikrsna caitanya prabhu nityananda sriadvaita gadadhara srivasadi gaura bhakta vrnda ki jaya. Sri Sri Radha-Krsna gopa gopinatha syamakunda radhakund giri govardhana ki jaya. Vrndavana dhama ki jaya. Navadvipa dhama ki jaya. Gaṅga mayi ki jaya. Yamuna mayi ki jaya. Tulasi devi ki jaya. Bhakti devi ki jaya. Samaveta bhaktavrnda ki jaya. All glories to the assembled devotees. Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: So when you have come? Everything all right?

Devotee: Hyderabad will be complete.

Prabhupada: If there is any prasada for distribution?

Hari-sauri: Is there any prasadam for distribution?

Devotee: It's coming.

Prabhupada: You are taking so much trouble.

Mr. Ashnani: It's a pleasure

Gopala Krsna: Ashnaniji's helping us a lot now.

Prabhupada: He is the cause of this site. Unless he would not help, it was practically lost. I know that. Two, three hours how we finished that sales agreement.

Mr. Ashnani: Customs did not open that day anyway.

Prabhupada: Oh, that's right. We are always traveling. They should give us some concession. Every time we get checked. Actually, the government should have given us the best facilities because I am distributing India's culture all over the world.

Devotees: Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

Prabhupada: Unfortunately, I am not receiving encouragement from the leaders and the authorities. This is India's glory. History will say. [prasadam arrives] Give it. Yes, you can...

Hari-sauri: Pass it out.

Prabhupada: All people are responding all over the world. They... Money, men, strength, everything they are supplying. But we are not getting very good encouragement from India. Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission is that every Indian should become guru and preach the instruction of Krsna.

This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's... And people are hankering after receiving this instruction. Unfortunately, the so-called svamis, yogis, they are going... Or even politicians, they are not presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is. Anyway, so long I live I shall go on struggling like this. That's all.

Devotee: Jaya Srila Prabhupada! All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. So Nitai, when you are coming?

Nitai: I came just two days ago, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Everything is all right?

Nitai: Yes, everything is fine.

Prabhupada: So, now you can disperse.

Devotees: Jaya Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Jaya. Take prasada and chant Hare Krsna, that's all. And we have now nice buildings. Live here peacefully, chant Hare Krsna. Bas. This is my success. If I see that you are living very nicely, chanting very nicely, then all my labor is successful.

Hari-sauri: Hare Krsna. So if all the devotees would like to leave now, then Prabhupada can rest a little bit from traveling.

Harikesa: You can distribute prasadam in the hall.

Prabhupada: Oh, you are older than me.

Older Indian man: Your blessings. Because of your blessings I have come.

Prabhupada: Live peacefully, chant Hare Krsna. It is for you, so many buildings. Let devotees come, live here peacefully, and chant Hare Krsna, that's all. That I want.

Gopala Krsna: There's a lot of devotees visiting Bombay.

Prabhupada: How many devotees?

Gopala Krsna: On a permanent basis about forty, but there are a few from different centers.

Prabhupada: [referring to Vyasa-puja book] When you have received this?

Gopala Krsna: Rsabhadeva, president of Spiritual Sky brought it here.

Prabhupada: President of...?

Gopala Krsna: Spiritual Sky in Los Angeles. He has come on a business trip. They were trying to negotiate buying incense sticks from Mysore, sandalwood, and Bangalore. So they are... Did you get those color proofs I sent you of Bhagavata? Did you like? It's coming out quite nicely.

Prabhupada: Not as good as..., not as good as foreign.

Gopala Krsna: It's not as good as foreign? That is...

Prabhupada: I replied you.

Gopala Krsna: But we are going to be printing the softbound book for seven rupees.

Prabhupada: All right, we shall talk later on. Now let me...

Hari-sauri: Maybe somebody could take these flowers and put them in vases. [much indistinct devotee talking in background]

Gopala Krsna: All the pictures have a garland.

Prabhupada: Still you...

Gopala Krsna: Distribute it?

Prabhupada: [chuckling] So you have come. It is good.

Palika: Would you like to take some fruit now?

Prabhupada: I'll tell you. Not now.

Harikesa: Haribol. [offers obeisances]

Prabhupada: Hare Krsna.

Harikesa: Everything came in and nothing is on any passport.

Prabhupada: All right, that's all right.

Harikesa: Oh, you had the key. Does the Dictaphone work? All right, you take the keys back. The Dictaphone.

Hari-sauri: [indistinct]

Harikesa: Just one second. If you can open it I can..., or just pass it to me and I'll open it.

Prabhupada: That projector also there?

Harikesa: Projector?

Prabhupada: No, there was no projector.

Hari-sauri: No, no. That was Atreya Rsi's.

Harikesa: Yes, we should have many of those in India.

Hari-sauri: First class.

Harikesa: They're so marvelous.

Hari-sauri: This is a desk.

Harikesa: Do you have the almirah key?

Hari-sauri: This is almirah.

Harikesa: Prabhupada's bedroom almirah somehow got out here, or is that the office almirah?

Prabhupada: Which almirah? Which almirah?

Hari-sauri: The sitting room, it says. This one, I think. Maybe it's not.

Harikesa: I can go check on that.

Hari-sauri: They weren't labeled when we were here; they were labeled a long time afterwards.

Harikesa: This is not for this.

Hari-sauri: This is the cash box.

Harikesa: This one has two keys, Hari-sauri. They say "one" and "two." This is not it. This is the key for the inside. This is not this key.

Hari-sauri: It's this one. This is it. They all fell off the hoop.

Harikesa: Oh. Do you have the key to these two almirahs out here?

Hari-sauri: There's some keys that we didn't know where they fitted.

Prabhupada: So, how are you?

Giriraja: Fine.

Prabhupada: Everything is going?

Giriraja: Yes, very nicely.

Prabhupada: And the lift is... Oh! Hare Krsna. Lift is not available.

Hari-sauri: They're all here now, Srila Prabhupada. There was one key that dropped off the hoop. There's one, two, and the small cash box inside.

Harikesa: This is the cash box key. For this box.

Hari-sauri: What are these keys? This, this...

Prabhupada: Oh, how he can know?

Harikesa: He had one key, I think, for one of these.

Giriraja: I don't have.

Prabhupada: Keep in the bag everything.

Hari-sauri: Yes, they're all in the bag there somewhere. A couple weren't labeled. This is here.

Prabhupada: Everything all right?

Indian man: Very comfortable journey? There was weather?

Prabhupada: [chuckles] There was no water. All over Europe there is no cloud, no water.

Giriraja: No water?

Prabhupada: No water.

Harikesa: Big drought. They just had to close the factories in Wales because there's no water now.

Giriraja: It's a reaction to their sinful activities.

Prabhupada: It will be increasing throughout the whole world. Anavrsti.

Hari-sauri: They think it's just happening by chance.

Prabhupada: Godless civilization. Sinful activities. The reaction will increase-no rainfall, scarcity of food grains, and government taxes. These are written in Bhagavata. Anavrsti-durbhiksa kara-piditah [SB 12.2.9]. Government will exact tax more and more.

Gopala Krsna: There was a scientific study done by the CIA in America, this study done by the CIA on world weather conditions. And they concluded that the world weather conditions will only get worse and worse. There's going to be drought every three, four years, and so there will not be food production.

Prabhupada: It is predicted in the Bhagavata five thousand years ago.

Gopala Krsna: Yes. They're having earthquakes in China now.

Hari-sauri: Yes, big ones. They say a million people died in the last one.

Prabhupada: You have got the keys for that?

Hari-sauri: I think they're... That last set that I gave you, Srila Prabhupada? These, yes.

Prabhupada: Now print books many, as good as possible, and distribute. Let us do our duty.

Gopala Krsna: We have three small Hindi books in production, plus as I said, Hindi Back to Godhead.

Prabhupada: Hare Krsna.

Hari-sauri: Oh. This silver lota has become very black. You can get it polished.

Prabhupada: See if there is...

Hari-sauri: If there's...?

Prabhupada: If there is worms.

Hari-sauri: I was just looking in the corners. There's some spiders, I think, and there's some signs again of worms. Some powdered remains and things like that.

Prabhupada: So we shall...

Hari-sauri: So I think if we do it once more then it should be finished.

Indian boy: I come from Tanzania, Dar es Salaam.

Hari-sauri: That's in Africa.

Indian boy: Yes. And we are the Life Member of ISKCON. You know Navayogendra dasa of Nairobi? Now he is transferred in Mombasa.

Prabhupada: Navayogendra, yes.

Indian boy: Yes, he came there between 1975 or 1974 and he made us the member. He's now in Mombasa.

Prabhupada: Accha. So when you have come here?

Hari-sauri: When have you come here?

Indian boy: Here? We just came for a holiday trip.

Prabhupada: Where you are staying?

Indian boy: In Malad.

Prabhupada: So come tomorrow at five.

Indian boy: At five. Do you have the Hare Krsna Cookbook?

Prabhupada: Ask him...

Hari-sauri: If you like, go out there now and see Giriraja. He's the president. He'll fix you up. Hare Krsna.

Indian boy: Hare Krsna.

Hari-sauri: Get some prasadam when you go.

Indian boy: Yes.

Prabhupada: So cleanse this.

Hari-sauri: This spittoon? They... Oh. They've put one here, actually. This is the bathing lota, but there's one here also. Oh, they used this for bathing your feet. This is a new lota for drinking until... I'll clean this silver one.

[long pause]

Prabhupada: This is spittoon?

Hari-sauri: Yes. [break]

Prabhupada: So? What fruit you have got?

Hari-sauri: I'll go and check.

Prabhupada: Ask somebody to call Saurabha.

Palika: Yes.

Prabhupada: What is this?

Palika: Some sweet one girl has made here.

Prabhupada: Not everyone should make. She is initiated?

Palika: Yes. I will generally make, but I just arrived today, so there was not time.